Australia

Australia rewards the long flight with the hemisphere's easiest grandeur: Sydney's harbour performing daily around its Opera House, the Great Barrier Reef's impossible colour off Cairns, and between them a national talent for turning coastline into lifestyle. English everywhere, distances that respect a good itinerary, and wildlife that seems designed for delight — this is the far trip that runs the smoothest.

The shape of the trip

The classic (9 nights): Sydney (4) — the Bridge climb or its free pylon alternative, Bondi-to-Coogee's cliff walk, a Blue Mountains day; fly to Cairns (3) for the Reef (choose an outer-reef operator; the difference is everything) and the Daintree's ancient rainforest; finish in Melbourne (2) for laneway culture and, with a day spare, the Great Ocean Road.

The money

Australia is comfortably expensive: city doubles ₹8,000–14,000, café brunches ₹800–1,200 (an art form here), the outer-Reef day ₹12,000–15,000. Offsets: superb free beaches and coastal walks, food courts, and internal-flight sales that make the vast distances affordable when booked with the long-haul.

Worth knowing

Start the online visa 6–8 weeks out. Reef-trip quality varies wildly — pay for the smaller, farther boats. Sun here is a different animal: SPF50 is equipment, not vanity. And declare all food items at customs with religious honesty; the fines are famous.